The Central Bank has requested Licensed Finance Companies and Specialised Leasing Companies – Non-Banking Financial Institutions (NBFIs) – to provide concessions to their borrowers hit by the prevailing third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. 06 of 2021 on concessions for pandemic-affected businesses and individuals, the Central Bank has request the NBFIs to provide the following concessions to the affected borrowers:1. of the eligible borrowers. Other concessions(a) NBFIs shall discontinue late payment fee on credit cards and other credit facilities during the period up to 30 June 2021, for those who are demonstrably affected. Concessionary Scheme for Businesses and Individuals Affected by Third Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic by Adaderana Online on Scribd

The region is the Indian variant hotspot and cases there have exploded in the past fortnight. Ahead of a call between the British nations on Thursday, Humza Yousaf said Scotland needs more Pfizer doses if it is to 'maintain or increase' its current speed of rollout. The pace at which cases of the Delta variant continue to rise is deeply worrying and is putting the lifting of restrictions at risk. Although figures for the Indian variant specifically are rocketing, numbers for the outbreak overall are increasing more slowly. Yesterday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed that the Indian variant now comprises 91 per cent of new infections.

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved $40 million in additional financing for Sri Lanka to expand water supply, sanitation, and hygiene services in 7 districts through the Water Supply and Sanitation Improvement Project (WASSIP), the World Bank said in a statement yesterday (10). WASSIP is the third water sector project financed by the World Bank since 1998 to provide safe drinking water and sanitation in rural, estate and urban areas of Sri Lanka. The project finances new water supply systems, rehabilitation of existing water supply systems, toilets for households and schools, and septage treatment plants. “Building safe water supply and sanitation systems to ensure a healthy nation is crucial as Sri Lanka battles the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Faris Hadad-Zervos, World Bank Country Director for Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The project is implemented by the Ministry of Water Supply and the project management unit includes staff from the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB).

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared open the China-Sri Lanka Friendship National Nephrology Specialized Hospital in Polonnaruwa this morning (11). The hospital complex spans over an area of 16 acres and has been designed with the influence of ancient architecture of Sri Lanka and China. During the event, the Director of the Polonnaruwa General Hospital, Dr. M.K. The President and the invitees subsequently inspected the hospital complex including the dialysis unit, the operating theatre and the intensive care unit. Dr. Sanjeewa Munasinghe, Director-General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardane, Chinese Ambassador in Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong and others were present at the inaugural ceremony.

June 11, 2021 by Aazam Ameen No CommentsThe ongoing travel restrictions which were scheduled to be lifted at 4.00am on 14 June will be extended. Accordingly, Army Commander and Head of the National Operations Centre for Prevention of Covid Outbreak (NOCPCO) General Shavendra Silva stated that the restrictions will continue to be in force until 4.00am on 21 June.

China has been working on setting limits what kind of user data mobile apps can collect and several apps have already been hit. According to Reuters, Sogou and Iflytek got their virtual keyboards removed from stores such as Huawei AppGallery and the App Store by Apple. As of today, the “input method apps”, as they are called, cannot be downloaded. Iflytek Input allowed you to dictate text anywhere on your phone, but its data privacy agreement allowed the owners to collect personal information for “national security and national defense security” without the consent of users. Users that have already downloaded the apps can continue to use them but they won’t receive any updates until their fixed versions come online.

For the first time in the history of Sri Lanka Police, a female officer has been designated as the Deputy Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Thereby, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Imesha Muthumala was appointed to the position, on the approval of the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security. Imesha Muthumala, who joined Sri Lanka police as an Apprentice Assistant Superintendent in 2007, has been in the service for 14 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Ruhuna and an LLB degree from the Open University. SSP Muthumala has also served at the Nugegoda Police Division, Criminal Investigation Department and the Police Clearance Unit.

Colombo, June 2021 – Nations Trust Bank continues to build on its partnership with the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) jointly presenting the “Nations Trust WNPS Public Lecture” featuring Dr. Jane Goodall, the legendary scientist, conservationist and humanitarian, on the 17th of June at 7 p.m. Sri Lankan time, via Zoom and FB live. Dr. Goodall was named a UN Messenger of Peace in 2002, honouring her for a remarkable career that demonstrated her dedication to what is best in mankind. Through detailed observations of chimpanzee behavior in Gombe National Park in Tanzania in the ‘60s, Dr. Goodall revolutionized what it means to be human and challenged conventional theories of the time. Commenting on the Bank’s passion for nature Theja Silva, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Nations Trust Bank said, “Nations Trust Bank is happy to support the work done by the WNPS to create awareness on conservation. Dr. Goodall is a legend in the field and it is great to be associated with her to bring the message of environmental consciousness to the public.

While stating that the BASL has no objection to the enforcement of laws relating to hate speech and incitement to violence, it expressed the importance of ensuring that authorities do not use such laws to stifle genuine expressions of dissent and criticism. This statement comes after the recent media release from Sri Lanka Police titled “circulation of fake news, photographs, videos causing disunity, hate and obstructing the Covid-19 programme”. The BASL notes that the said circular contains a warning that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Computer Crimes Division of the Sri Lanka Police will be conducting investigations by monitoring the internet for violators, in order to enforce the law. The circular further warns the public to refrain from spreading fake news and aiding or abetting the same. “The BASL is deeply concerned that the provisions of the laws mentioned in the circular, could be misused by police officers in order to stifle the freedom of speech and expression which is a fundamental right enshrined in the Constitution.

June 11, 2021 04:07 pmThe Ministry of Health says that another 1,852 patients who were being treated for coronavirus have been discharged within the past 24 hours after completing their recovery. This brings the total number of Covid-19 recoveries in the country to 184,090. Sri Lanka’s tally of confirmed cases of coronavirus thus far is 216,134 while 31,911 positive patients are currently under medical care. The death toll due to the virus has moved to 2,011.

As the official smartphone of the tournament, the brand is reinforcing its drive for global expansion and consumer connection through the world’s most beloved sport. JUNE 11, 2021 (COLOMBO, Sri Lanka) – As the official smartphone of UEFA EURO 2020™, vivo wants football fans everywhere to enjoy every beautiful moment during the tournament. In its “To Beautiful Moments” campaign debuting today, vivo encourages people to be in the moment, whether that means connecting virtually with friends, family and fellow fans or giving their full attention to the beautiful game, even if it means putting the phone down. “As we rapidly expand our global business, it is extremely important for us to connect with people through the beautiful moments in life that are special to them and cared about most,” said Spark Ni. “To learn more about the “To Beautiful Moments” campaign and vivo’s activations around UEFA EURO 2020™, visit https://www.vivo.com/lk/activity/euro2020.

Colombo, Sri Lanka – June 10th, 2021 –Orient Finance PLC reported a profit before tax of LKR 193 Mn for the 2020-21 financial year, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 144 per cent. The company’s net operating income also increased 148 per cent from LKR 0.47 Bn to LKR 1.17 Bn during the year under review. In today’s challenging economic times, focusing on customers and understanding their needs has become the cornerstone of success for Orient Finance. We hope to sustain our strategic efforts and provide the best returns for our customers, employees and most importantly our shareholders,” said Anil Tittawella, Chairman of Orient Finance PLC. Jabir, Director and Chief Executive Officer of Orient Finance PLC.

Technology alone isn’t enough, organisations must develop a culture of cybersecurity awareness, education, and training, which is impossible to achieve without the help of senior HR leaders. Driven by the COVID-19-accelerated move to remote working, HR leaders are increasingly collaborating with IT leaders to devise policies, frameworks and training to better support and educate employees on how to be cybersecurity-aware. This is where it is critical for senior HR and IT leaders to closely collaborate to determine specific skills requirements. The mindset of an organisation’s HR team can set the culture for the entire organisation. Therefore, the onus is on HR leaders to take their organisation’s security seriously and work with the necessary business and technology teams to set the right attitudes, culture and processes to keep it secure.

June 11, 2021 by Mihi Perera No CommentsThe Ministry of Health says that another 1,852 patients who were being treated for Covid-19 have been discharged within the past 24 hours after completing their recovery. This brings the total number of Covid-19 recoveries in the country to 184,090. Sri Lanka’s tally of confirmed cases of Covid-19 thus far is 216,134 while 31,911 positive patients are currently under medical care. The death toll due to the virus has moved to 2,011.

11 June 2021 Colombo: Samsung Sri Lanka was honoured as the ‘Most Loved Electronics Brand’ for the third consecutive year in Brand Finance Lanka’s review of the most valuable brands in Sri Lanka featured in LMDs Brands Annual 2021. Retaining the coveted position as the No.1 Smartphone & Consumer Electronics brand further cements Samsung’s popularity and Samsung would like to extend its heartfelt gratitude to the people of Sri Lanka for choosing them as their most loved Electronics Brand. Samsung’s diverse portfolio of products ranging from Consumer Electronics to Smartphones, Tabs, Hearable and Wearable are designed to appeal to all age groups. Samsung Sri Lanka aims to maintain close interactions with their audience via the Samsung Members App, My Galaxy and the Samsung Student Ambassador Programme. They are also the pioneers in Sri Lanka’s E-sports arena in partnership with Gamer.lkLMD’s Most Loved Brands ranking is determined by a survey that defines a brands strength based on quality, reliability, distinctiveness, reputation and trustworthiness.